In a Chinese Temple-Garden: oriental phantasy Back to list of works index

This piece was first advertised in Musical Opinion (January 1923) as "even better than In a Persian Market". That turned out to be merely publisher’s hype, as this work has had only a fraction of the number of recordings – audiences probably find the whole-tone sections daunting, other melodies lack catchiness, and it is only the Lovers’ Melody which can compete with the best of Ketèlbey. However, musically it is a tight-knit piece, with whole-tone harmony unifying the introduction and procession, a descending chromatic scale linking the introduction with the incantation and incense, pentatonic phrases occurring in both lovers’ music and disturbance, and a gong punctuating the beginning, middle and end.

Composer’s synopsis

After a few bars characteristic introduction, - The incantation of the priests in the Temple, - the perfume of incense floats on the air, - melody (given to cello, viola and oboe with pizzicato accompaniment) represents two lovers, - a Manchu wedding-procession passes noisily by, - a street disturbance ensues amongst the coolies, (founded on an actual Chinese scale,) - the beating of the gong in the Temple restores quietude, - the incantation of the priests is heard again, and the lovers' song (amidst the singing of birds) with a brief quotation from the Temple and Coolies' music brings the piece to a conclusion.

In a Chinese Temple-Garden - orchestral

Artists	Label	Matrix	Format	Date	Review	Locations
Pathé Concert O	Pathé 5783	94568	12” 78	[Feb 24]		BL
Re-issue	- Actuelle 15156		12” 78	[Feb 24]
Court SO, Ketèlbey	Columbia 968	AX 99	12” 78	[Mar 24]		BL, TM, (TM CD)
Re-issue	- Columbia 5067-M	(American)
Jenö Fesca and his String O	Homochord HB 2093	?	12” 78, 2 sides	[Sept 24]
Edith Lorand O	Parlophone P 1648	?	12” 78
Re-issue	- Parlophone E 10198	7576	12” 78	[Dec 24]	Dec 24 p.262
Re-issue	- Parlophon P 1807	(German)		[Dec 24]
Re-issue	- Odeon 3161	(American)	12” 78	[Aug 25]
Grosvenor O	Aco G 15616	C 6719	10” 78	[Feb 25]		BL
Re-issue (Sutherland O)	- Beltona 654	C 6719	10” 78	[Jan 25]
Re-issue (Warwick O)	- Duophone B 5015	C 6719?	10” 78
American Concert O	Edison 80853	10564 A12	10” 78	rec.Sept 25		BL
Court SO, Leggett	Columbia 968R	WAX 1677-1	12” 78	[Aug 26]		WC
Re-issue	- Columbia 5067-M	1677	12” 78			WC
International Concert O, Shilkret	Victor 3577		12” 78			WC
Re-issue	- HMV C 1304	A 35735	12” 78	[Jan 27]	Feb 27 p.374	BL
Re-issue	- Gramophone L 867	(French)	12” 78			WC
Re-issue	- Evergreen Melodies C 62		CD	[1999]		PD, TM
Concert O, male chorus, Ketèlbey	Columbia 9859	WAX 4524, 4525	12” 78, 2 sides	[Oct 29] rec.Jan 29	Oct 29 p.208	BL, (TM CAS)
Re-issue	- Columbia DXX 1346	(German)			MMU
Re-issue	- Naxos 8.110174		CD	2001		BL, NX, TM
New Empire O	Decca K 523	MA 1456-3	12” 78	[Aug 30]	Oct 30 p.234	BL
Symphonie-O, chorus, organ, Weissmann	Odeon O 6787	xxQU 286	12” 78	?		WC
Re-issue	- Odéon 171515	(French)	12”78	?		WC
Re-issue (Orquesta Sinfónica de Berlin)	- Odeón 173222	XXQU 286 (Spanish)	12” 78	[1931]		WC
Re-issue (Grand Symphony O)	- Parlophone E 11167	XXQU 286-1	12” 78	[Nov 31]	Nov 31 p.230	BL
Grosses Symphonie-O, chorus, organ, Weissmann	Odeon O 11453	Be 9941	10” 78	[1931]	MMU, cat.1936	WC
Re-issue	- Odeon 168697	Be 9441	10” 78	[Mar 31]		WC, (TM CD)
Ernest Leggett’s O	Sterno 772	?	10” 78, 2 sides	[Oct 31]	Oct 31 p.186
Grand SO, chorus, organ	Parlophone R 1877	?	10” 78	[Aug 34]	Aug 34 p.99
Louis Voss Grand O	Bosworth BC 1107	CP 780	10” 78	[1941]		WC
Re-issue	- Bosworth BOCD 162		CD	1989		BL, TM
Re-issue	- Bosworth BPM 217		CD	2001		TM
Re-issue	- Guild Light Music GLCD 5115		CD	July 05		BL, TM
Concert O, male chorus, Ketèlbey	Decca F 7619	DR 4756	10” 78	[Nov 40]	Dec 40 p.154-5	BL, PD, (TM CD)
New Promenade O, Wardour Singers, Robertson	London R 10018	DR 12250-1	78	[1948?]		WC
Wilhelm Stephan mit seinem grossem Konzert-Orchester	Deutsche Grammophon 79376	5999 LHN	10” 78	?		WC
Re-issue	- Polydor DP 1016		10” 78	[ca.1950?]		WC
Re-issue	- Polydor 22376			1954
New SO of London, male chorus, Robinson	Decca LK 4080		LP	[June 54]	July 54 p.73, Mar 55 p.464-465	BL
Re-issue	- Decca LW 5140		10” LP	[Dec 54]		PD
Re-issue	- Ace of Clubs ACL 1044		LP	[1961]		BL, (TM CD)
Re-issue	- Eclipse ECS 2016 (+ECM)		LP	1969	Feb 70 p.1332	BL, PD, TM
Re-issue	- Decca DDX 190039	(Dutch)	LP	1969
Re-issue	- Decca NUX 390044	(Dutch)	LP	1969
Rochester Pops O, Gould	Columbia CL 560	(American)	10” LP	[1954]
Re-issue	- Columbia AL 47	(American)	10” LP
Re-issue	- Philips SO 6605R	(Dutch)	10” LP
Re-issue	- Philips GO 6605	(French)	10” LP	[1959]		WC
Vienna State Opera O, organ, Aliberti	Westminster WP 6082		LP	rec.June 57		(TM CD)
Re-issue	- Westminster WST 15005		LP			WC
Re-issue	- World Record Club TP 359		LP	1963		BL, PD
Re-issue Orquesta sinfónica de Baviera, Jenssen	- Dial Discos/Nevada ND 501312	(Spanish)	LP	1978		WC, TM
Re-issue Orquesta sinfónica de Baviera, Jenssen	- Dial Discos NC 501312	(Spanish)	CAS	[1978]		WC
Re-issue	- Westminster WGS 8139	(American)	LP	1981		TM
Re-issue Orquesta sinfónica de Baviera, Jenssen	- Dial Discos 102048	(Spanish)	CAS	[1986]		WC
Re-issue Orquesta sinfónica de Baviera, Jenssen	- Dial 960139	(Spanish)	CD	1991		WC
Re-issue	- Voix de son maître 2CO 59392502	(French)	LP			WC
Re-issue	- Voix de son maître C 24592502	(French)	CAS			WC
New SO of London, male chorus, Sharples	Decca SKL 4077		LP	[1959]	Feb 60 p.434	BL, PD
Re-issue	- Decca DFE 6665		SP	[1961]	May 61 p.603
Re-issue	- Decca DFE STO 149		SP	[1961]	May 61 p.603
Re-issue	- Decca SPA 187		LP	1971	July 72 p.253	BL, PD
Re-issue	- Decca LXT 4329	(Spanish)	LP	[1960]		WC
Re-issue	- Decca SKC 4077	(Spanish)	CAS	[1969]		WC
Re-issue	- Decca 841203	(Spanish)	CAS	1982		WC
Re-issue	- Decca 452987-2		CD	1997		BL, PD, TM
Re-issue	- Vocalion CDLF 8143		CD	[2011]	LMS Aut 11 p42	PD
Richard Hayman & his O (arr. Hayman)	Mercury MG 10106	(Spanish)	EP	[1959]		WC
Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Riethmüller (organ), chorus, Schmidt-Boelke	Orbis OP 3116		10” LP	1960		Pfälzische Landesbibliothek
Stuttgart Philharmonic O, male chorus, Mareczek	Fontana SFL 14141		LP	1967	Jan 70 p.1188	BL, TM, (TM CD)
Re-issue	- Phillips 839800 G7/GSY		LP			WC
Re-issue	- Philips G 05585	(French)	10” LP	[1967]		WC
Re-issue	- Philips 836397 VZ	(French)	10” LP	[1967]		WC
Re-issue	- Philips 837494 G7		LP		(French cat.1967)
Re-issue	- Philips 730236	(Spanish)	CAS	[1971]		WC
Re-issue	- Philips 7431049	(Spanish)	CAS	[1977]		WC
Re-issue	- Philips 7318016	(French)	CAS			WC
Re-issue	- Philips 9117 CAA	(French)	CAS			WC
Royal Philharmonic Chorus & O, Rogers	Decca PFS 4170		LP	1969	Nov 69 p.833	BL, TM
Re-issue	- Decca DGS 16	(American)	LP	1980
Re-issue	- Decca 6594064	(Spanish)	LP	1981		WC
Re-issue	- Decca 444 786-2LPF		CD	1996	Aug 96 p.60	BL, PD, TM
Ambrosian Singers, Philharmonia O, Lanchbery	EMI ASD 3542		LP	1978	July 78 p.261	BL, TM
Re-issue	- Angel S 37483	(American)	LP	1978
Re-issue	- Hörzu 1C 05702986Q	(German)	LP	?		WC
Re-issue	- Angel SS 45012	(American)	EP	1979
Re-issue	- Voz de su Amo 10C 265002986Q	(Spanish)	CAS	[1980]		WC
Re-issue	- Voix de son maître 2C 2692986	(French)	CAS			WC
Re-issue	- Angel CDC 7478062		CD	[1987]		WC
Re-issue	- CD-CFP 4637		CD	1993	Mar 94 p.114	BL, TM
Re-issue	- TC-CFP 4637		CAS	1993	Mar 94 p.114
Re-issue	- EMI 50112920	(Japanese remastering)	CD	1994		TM
Re-issue	- EMI Classics 5730002	(German)	CD	[1998]		WC
Re-issue	- HMV 5724852		CD	1998
Re-issue	- EMI Classics 0724 3573 00056		CD	[1999]		NX
Re-issue	- EMI Classics 0742 3573 00155		CD	[1999]
Re-issue	- EMI Classics 0094 6352 39959		CD	[2006]		NX
Ambrosian Chorus, London Promenade O, Faris	Philips 6514 152		LP	1982	Apr 82 p.1423	BL, TM
Re-issue	- Philips 7337152		CAS	1982	Apr 82 p.1423	WC
Re-issue	- Philips 400 011-2PH		CD	1982	Apr 83 p.1152	BL, PD, TM
Re-issue	- Philips 4626572		CD	1999		BL, PD
Re-issue			CAS	2000
Re-issue	- Decca/Universal 4737202		CD	2003	June 03 p.50	BL, WC, PD
Palm Court Theatre O, male chorus, Godwin	Chandos FBCD 2002		CD	1998		BL, TM
Re-issue	- Chandos 6676		CD			NX
Berliner Symphoniker, Collegium Musicale Vocale Berlin, Buschkötter	Lindström O 28139	Be 14255-1	10” 78	?		WC
Crystal Palace O	Clausophon 598	4596 (German)	10” 78	?	MMU	WC
Grosses Parlophon-Streich-O, chorus, Dobrindt	Parlophon B 47122	133155	10” 78	?		WC
Re-issue	- Parlophon B 48043	(German)	10” 78	?	MMU	WC
Re-issue Gloria SO, chorus	- Lindström GO 27385	133155	10” 78	?		WC
Lajos Barany-Künstler-O	Grammophon 792	4583 BDii	10” 78	?	MMU	WC
Paul Godwin mit seinem Künstler-Ensemble	Grammophon 19717	162be	12” 78	?	MMU	WC
Re-issue	- Polydor 24471 A			?		WC
Ferdy Kauffman & sein Orchester	Gramophone ?	40934 R (French)	12” 78	?		WC
Victor Concert O, Shilkret	RCA Victor L 24002 B	L 24002	78	?		WC
Re-isssue? (Victor Concert O, Bourdon)	- Victor L24002		10” 78	?		WC

The orchestration of this piece is fairly clearly defined, with few options left to the performer:

- Some performances have the chorus of priests singing the prescribed words, some follow the instruction for the priests to hum, and yet others mix singing and humming.

- Parts for alto and tenor saxophones were only added to the orchestral set around 1930, to cater for the changing composition of light orchestras; the composer himself didn’t use them when recording this work, but they do add a suitably exotic colour to the texture.

- In the second half of the first bar the percussionist is asked to play a “Chinese Drum”; this is indeed what the composer seems to use in his 1940 recording, but a few conductors have chosen instead a Chinese Temple Block (a wooden slit drum), as being more appropriated to the garden of a Chinese temple.

- The final bar is a single quaver in the parts, but in his 1929 recording the composer himself allowed his gong to resonate on.

The main divergence between performances has been the speed of the Machu Procession. The score is merely marked “Più mosso” (=faster), but some recordings take the section far too fast to process to – even Gurkhas regiments don’t exceed 140 steps a minute. However, this passage with its whole-tone melody and harmony does sound crude and naïve if taken too slow.

Artists	Main tempo	Procession	Cuts	Bars cut	Other features
Score	72	Più mosso
Ketèlbey (1923)	77	113	2	49	Small band with clear oboe, clarinet & cornet solos. No vocal effects
Ketèlbey (1924)	62	101	4	36	Small orchestra, without double bass and harp. Solo voice, but no shouting
Ketèlbey (1929)	62	110	0	0	With celeste. Some vocal lines omitted, and “Ah” is replaced by a nasal “Eh”
Ketèlbey (1940)	71	128	6	52	Without harp
Aldershot Tattoo (Miller)	82	cut	1	96	With one voice declaiming over music.
Aldershot Tattoo (Silver Stars)	75	cut	1	96	With one voice declaiming over music
Aliberti	64	116	0	0	With harmonium. No vocal effects or harp
Amers	78	132	3	28	Uses glockenspiel instead of xylophone. No vocal effects
Faris	60	98	0	0	With saxophone
Foort	64	113	2	40
Godwin	65	120	0	0	Small orchestra, with piano. Humming an octave lower (is this temple in Tibet?)
Hielscher	74	83	0	0
Lanchbery	52	132	0	0	With saxophone
Maclean	50	cut	3	61
Mareczek	75	128	1	8	Gong has discordant bass resonance of Bb. Chinese temple-block enters 2 beats too early in bar 47
Robinson	67	120	5	36	With saxophone instead of cor anglais
Rogers	69	142	1	8
Sharples	55	153	0	0	Harp also plays discretely during first lovers’ theme
Shilkret (A 35735)	72	113	3	24	Small orchestra, with piano. No vocal effects
Voss	66	137	6	50	With very active harp additions. No vocal effects
Weissmann (xxQU 286)	74	120	4	38	See below
Welsh Guards	87	124	4	52	With shouting and bird whistle, but no chanting

xxQU 286 can be heard at http://bdh.bne.es/bnesearch/detalle/2780578 This version has a very loud organ accompanying the incantation of the priests, the chorus laughing to the music of the wedding procession and completely drowning out the music of the street disturbance with their shouting. A Hawaiian guitar and saxophone which both happened to be in the recording studio are commandeered for the reprise of the incantation and love theme, and the garden is enlivened by a bird-whistle.

The International Concert Orchestra can be heard at http://archive.org/details/AKetelbyFestival-5CutsFrom1927-1930 and also (played too fast, but with a useful list of the orchestral forces) at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eknyfAh_9I

K 523 only has an extract from this piece.

In a Chinese Temple Garden - military band

Artists	Label	Matrix	Format	Date	Review	Locations
Silver Stars Band, Ketèlbey	Regal G 8005	A 98	10” 78	[Oct 23]		BL
Re-issue	- VLMS VH 115		CAS	[1987]		TM
Band of HM Royal Air Force, Amers	HMV C 1149	Cc 4455-2	12” 78	[July 24]	Aug 24 p.105	BL
Band of HM Royal Air Force, Amers	HMV C 1244	Cc 7329-2	12” 78	[Mar 26]	Apr 26 p.534	BL
Re-issue	- VLMS SP 108		CAS			TM
2LO Military Band, Godfrey	Velvet Face (Edison) 1172	?	10” 78	[Aug 26]
Band of HM Grenadier Guards, Miller (Aldershot Command Searchlight Tattoo)	Columbia 9109	WAX 1667	12” 78	[Aug 26]	Aug 26 p.128	BL (TMmp3 inc.)
Silvers Stars Band (Aldershot Tattoo)	Regal G 8649	WA 3473-1	10” 78	[Sept 26] rec.23.6.26		BL, (TM CD)
Band of HM Irish Guards	Imperial 1716	?	10” 78	[Mar 27]	Apr 27 p.464
Band of HM Welsh Guards	Broadcast 199	Z 280-1	8” 78	[1928] rec Dec 27		(TM CD)
Re-issue	- Broadcast B 1004	(French)	8” 78			WC
Re-issue “Musique de la Garde Royale Anglaise”	- Broadcast 1060	(French)	8” 78			WC
London Fire Brigade Band	Piccadilly 482	?	10” 78		Apr 30 p.512
Musique du 39ème R.I., Revoil	Corelia		CAS	1986		WC
South Shore Concert Band, Whitmarsh	Sounds of the Circus 19		CD	2001
?	Orchestrola 8106	(German)		?	MMU

Ketèlbey’s recording cuts all material after the street disturbance.

The two recordings from the Aldershot Tattoo are only short extracts. A male voice declaims over the Priest’s music in quasi-Chinese, far closer to the microphone in the Grenadier Guards recording than with the Silver Stars.

More details in the table above.

In a Chinese Temple Garden - organ

Artists	Instrument	Label	Matrix	Format	Date	Review	Locations
Reginald Foort	New Gallery Cinema, London	HMV C 1330	CR 1283	12” 78	[June 27]	June 27 p.24	BL,
	Re-issue	- Electrola EH 63	CR 1283-1	12” 78		MMU	WC
	Re-issue	- World Records SH 338		LP	1979		BL, WC, (TM CAS)
Jack Courtnay	Elite Super Cinema, Wimbledon	Regal G 8855	WA5204-1	10” 78	[July 27] rec.8.4.27		BL
Quentin Maclean	Pavilion, Shepherds Bush	Columbia 4921	WA6426-1	10” 78	[Aug 28] rec Oct 27	Sept 28 p.159	BL, (TM CD)
	Re-issue	- Columbia 1899D		10” 78
	Re-issue	- Columbia FB 1482	5200A	10” 78	[Oct 36]
	Re-issue	- Beulah 1PD 7		CD	1994		BL
C.D. Smart	Plaza Theatre, London	Winner 4933	?	10” 78	[Oct 29]	Oct 29 p.208
Philip Dore	Bournemouth Pavilion	Parlophone E 10952	XE 2952-1	12” 78	[Feb 30]	Feb 30 p.417	BL, WC
Edward O'Henry	Madame Tussaud's, London	Broadcast Twelve 5200	5200A	10” 78	[Dec 30]	Dec 30 p.351	BL
James Bell	Odeon Theatre, Leicester Square, London	Bosworth BE 19	CP 1044	10” 78	[1940?]
Richard Ellsasser	John Hays Hammond Jr. Museum, Gloucester, Mass.	MGM E 3282		LP	rec.1955		WC, TM
Gerrhard Gregor	Grosse Welte Funkorgel, Hamburg	NDR E 700255		CD	2001
Hans Uwe Hielscher	Dunedin Town Hall	Ifo ORG 72112		CD	2004		WC, TM
Douglas Mews	Wellington Town Hall	Priory PRCD 1030		CD	2010		WC
Benna Moe	Palladium	Tono SP 4680	?	78	?		WC
Lew White	Aeolian 176-Note Duo-Art			roll	?	online cat.2003
?	Residence Organ Roll 3661			roll	?

Both Foort and Maclean have convincing gongs and drums on their organs

Ellsasser occasionally changes the harmony, and plays the Procession too fast to be able to make the accelerando molto marked in the score; his gong is far too quiet, but otherwise his quieter passages are very sensitively played.

Hielscher’s organ has no gong, and his attempt at it sounds more like Frankenstein approaching than a call to prayer in a Buddhist temple. He is faithful to the score, and gives a clean but routine performance.

More details in table above.

In a Chinese Temple Garden - other instrumental

Artists	Instruments	Label	Matrix	Format	Date	Review	Locations	Archive
?	Piano	Universal Roll S 12792a		roll	? by 1930
Hans Hause	Piano	Welte Music Roll 4157		roll	? by 1930
Belgian Mandoline O	Mandolins	Parlophone R 1462	?	10” 78	[Apr 33]	Apr 33 p.442
Re-issue		- Parlophone F 767		10” 78	[May 37]	May 37 p.532
Collins H. Driggs	Novachord synthesiser	Victor P 57-3	27306A	78	ca.1940		WC
Jenny Lin	Piano, gong	Bis CD 1110		CD	[?2000]	Jan 01 p.83	BL, NX
Eric Halstead	Piano	private recording		web	[?2002]
Markus Staab	Piano	private recording		web	2008
Rita Braga	Keyboard	Rita Braga NAU 002		CD	2011
?	Piano	Artistyle 93345b		roll	?		PD	mr03

Driggs can be heard at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gtptlyFLD4

The Halstead recording is available at http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/3998219-collection-of-ketelbey-midi-files-zip

The Staab version can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMRXVwQigyA

The Rita Braga is on the album Cherrie that went to the police, which appears to be have been recorded at a live sketch show, with much unexplained laughter from the audience.

Driggs plays a synthesiser which combines piano and harmonium effects, as well as having a passable gong. He makes 4 cuts totalling 44 bars, but adds 3 chords of his own at the end.

Lin expands the published texture with a few extra octaves. She follows the orchestral flute in playing trills to represent the birds singing. She is joined by a real tam-tam, but for some reason this doesn’t play in the final bars.